Rural mail-box.



Patented lgly 9, |90l.

W. E. FENSTERMACHER-` RURAL MAI-L BOX.

(Application ala. .amL 2a, 1901.)

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Nrrnn STATES RURAL MAIL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,967, dated July 9, 191. Application filed April 23, 1901l Serial No. 57,037. (No model.)

T all whom twenty concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. FENSTER- MACHER, a citizen of the United States, resid-- and the object of the same is to construct a box of this character which shall beprovided with a semaphore adapted to be set in two different positions at right angles to each other and be securely locked against meddlers, one position to denote mail for the owners of the box, the other to denote mail for the carrier. This object and these advantages are accomplished by the simple and novel construction' described Vin this specification and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of my box. Fig. 2 is an end view with parts broken away and the door open. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of the semaphore holder and staff. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective of the link mechanism.

Like numerals of reference designate like parts in the different views of the drawings.

The body of my box, comprising a'bottom 1, a back 2, and a curved top 3, is constructed of a single sheet of metal pressed into shape. The box is closed by a swinging door 4, secured at its lower edge by hinges 5 and provided with a lock 6. Two keys to the lock are provided, one for the carrier and the other for the owner. Theends 7 of the box are also of sheet metal, flanged and united to the sides, top, and bottom.

J ournaled in one ofthe ends 7 is a stubshaft 7 a, bearing two rigid arms, an outer and an inner one, designated by the numerals 8 and 9, respectively. The inner arm 9 is located inside of the box and is pivoted at its free end to a link-bar 10, which is oppositely pivoted centrally to one end of the door 4. The outer arm'S is located outside the box and is positioned to engage the lower end of a semaphore-staff l1, slidingly mounted in a holder 12, consisting of a housing provided with iianges 13, riveted to the end 7 of the box. The staff 11 carries a semaphore 14 on its ,lower end of the staff 11 and raise it.

l upper end and has a lug 15 on its lower. The housing 12 is cut by twointersecting slots 16- and 17, within which the lug 15 is constrained to slide. The upper ends of these slots are just ninety degrees apart, and when the lug 15 is engaged by the slot 16 the semaphore 14 extends parallel to the sides of the box, and when the lug is at the upper end of the slot 17 the semaphore extends transversely the box.

When in use, the direction parallel to the length of the box can by agreement denote mail for the owner and the transverse direction denote mail for the carrier. The joint 18 of the bar 10 and' end 9 is arranged to throw downward, so that in closing the box the arm 8 Will be raised and will engage the The person closing the box can direct the sema phore 14 and deect the lug 15 into either of the slots 16 or 17 desired. On opening the box the joint 18 would be raised into the position shown in Fig. 2 and the arm 8 lowered,

releasing the semaphore, which would drop clear of the box into the position shown in this figure. It will be observed that by the arrangement just described the semaphore is securelyloeked by the arm 8 when the box is closed, but is released by the opening of the box, thus permitting it to be reset on closing the same.

I do not wish to be limited as to details o1' construction, as these may be modied in many particulars without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a housing cut by two intersecting slots, a stad mounted to slide in said housing and provided with a lug engaging said slots, and means for raising said staif and holding it against displacement. f

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a box having a hinged door, of a slidingly-mounted staff, a shaft journaled in said box and bearing lan outer and an inner arm, said outer arm being located to engage the said staff, and a link-bar pivoted at one end to said inner arm and at its IOO other end to said door, substantially as described.

3. In :t device of the class described, the combination with zt box having a swinging door, of a housing mounted on said boX and having two intersecting slots therein, it staff bea-ring zt lug slidingly mounted in said housing with the said lug engaging said slots, and means operated by opening and closing of seid dooi` to raise and hold said staff, sub- 1o stantialiy as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Wit-v nesses.

WILLIAM E. FENSTERMACIIER.

W'itnesses:

F. J. KNIGHT, T. R. RANDALL. 

